Dear FlyLady,

I recently heard about you from my dear sister on the other side of the country, she lives in Washington State and I live outside of Washington, DC. I recently moved my office home, and I have been adjusting to working from home. I told her how I put my purse on my shoulder and walk up the stairs to work. She laughed, but then immediately told me about how she had to put on lace up shoes to get focused. She told me how she has so much more time to do things she enjoys.

This progressed to a lengthy conversation about your website and how it had changed her life. I thought, well, I am very organized and I do not need this, but I checked out your website anyway. Intrigued, I shined my sink that night. Several days later, I shared with my husband that my new mission was to keep the kitchen sink shiny. He is now my very cool Fly Guy and is very diligent in helping me keep it shiny. The other day after he bleached it for me, he wiped it down with Pledge and Wow! Talk about SHINE!

Then, I read several testimonies about your calendar, so I ordered one. I moved on to the bedtime routine, loved it. I started my morning routine, loved it more. I started working on my “hotspots”, and in less than a week, I felt so in control. Note, that I THOUGHT I was in control to begin with.

So, then I began on my children just last night. When I picked my daughter (age 7) up from school today, I knew then that I had to send in a testimonial. She said that she told her teacher that she was a fly kid. When her teacher asked her what that was, she told her and “yeah, my mom is a FlyLady too” I wish I could have seen her teacher’s face. But more priceless, was the look on my daughter’s face, it was full of pride and excitement about our new life as FLYS.

She and my son (age 11) started their bedtime routine last night, and she loved it. This morning, it was like I was living a dream. They had their routine checklist, with their dry erase marker and marched around like little soldiers completing one task after the other. After I picked my jaw up off of the floor we headed for the car to go to school. My daughter said, ” Mommy, we listened better, didn’t we? I love being a Fly Kid!” I am still speechless, because when she said that I realized that I didn’t have to tell them to do ONE thing. They didn’t listen better because I did not have to tell them to do anything!

My previous mornings were spent, telling them to brush their teeth no less than 20 times. Get your shoes on? (30 + times) Where are your shoes? What do you mean you don’t have any socks? You left your book bag in the house? You can’t tell me you want to pack at the last minute, I am sorry you hate turnip greens but I don’t have time to pack anything now. Today is show and what? We are pulling in the parking lot. Show them all these drive thru trash bags in the floor of my car. That was me in control. LOL what a joke. My mornings will NEVER be like this again.

My calendar has all of the important things on there, including meals planned, cheerleading practice, reminders about band practice. My husbands crazy shift work schedule, my appointments and meetings. Our family’s birthdays, and the school calendar for the remainder for the school year. Their clothes, including socks, shoes, and show and tell items are laid out during our bedtime routines. No more forgetting to give them their medicine, or to take mine.

No more running through the drive through because I am exhausted from my chaos. YES, MY chaos. When I read that I laughed, thinking that my life was no where near chaos. Well now that we have peace and we are flying, I will not go back. They love it, I love it, and can’t imagine not FLYing. I am currently working on implementing my Office Control Journal.

And I can’t wait for the Holiday Control Journal, to see how much easier my life will be this Christmas. The FACE Control Journal is my next step as well, but I am doing all of this in baby steps, and setting realistic goals. I can’t thank you enough and my Fly sister for giving me the exact tools that I need to get and stay focused. I really do love myself more.

God has really used you to bless my family, and for that I pray that you all at FlyLady.net will be blessed as well. I pray that you will have extra special favor and that you are blessed with love, health and peace.

Sincerely,

Patti

FlyLady here: Patti, I am so proud of you! The peace is contagious. Children love knowing what needs to be done. They love seeing their routines written down so they can check them off.

Having a calendar that is large enough for your family’s schedule is a great way to keep them informed! Keep that calendar where the whole family can see it.